Su alcuni affioramenti miocenici della Val di Cornia (Province di Grosseto e Pisa).

Lithological, sedimentological and micropaleontological analysis of smal outcrops of middle Carnia Valley (Fornacelle, Casetta Rossi, Casa S. Zoe and Casa S. Marco), Pliocene in age of previous Literature, have been carried out. Four lithostratigraphic Units, characterized by conformable boundaries are present in the Fornacelle outcrop; in stratigraphic arder. - Argille lignitifere di Ribolla; a fault put this uni t in conctat with the Argille a Palombini formation, therefore the basis of the unit does not outcrop. Micropaleantological data point aut a shallow water lacustrine environment for the lower part of the unit and a brackish lagoonal for the upper. - Marne sabbiose di Casetta Rossi, like the former unit is characterised by brackish lagoonal environment with a very low salinity of the water. - Calcareniti di Fomacelle: the sedimentary environment is the same of Marne sabbiose di Casetta Rossi; just at the top of the unit marine macro and microfossils have been recorded. - Calcari di Castelnuovo (member of Calcare di Rosignano Forrnation), correspond to repeated attempts of reef buildings made up by Corals and Algae in marine environment not far from the coast. The Casa S. Zoe outcrop is entirely bordered by faults. Therefore, only the last two lithological units are present, while at Casetta Rossi and Casa S. Marco crop out brackish and marine units respectively, both transgressive on pre-Neogene formations. All the studied outcrops are Upper Miocene in age. The peculiar environmental characters and their development are usually recorded in the whole depositional domain to the west of "Dorsale Medio Toscana" and mark this time interval. However, some typical elements of early Messinian age are recorded within marine facies.